Though '80 is full of great shows, this tour stands out. I think this is borderline hidden gem - it seems to have more recognition now (most D.C. shows seem to be well-traversed). This is known for being a long show, having the only GSET>UJB, and for being the start of the 8/31, 9/2, 9/3, 9/4 sequence. It's a nearly-2hr 1st set. This was recommended for a long time before I finally got it. SMS/SLT! The highpoints don't come all at once, so when they do they're unexpected. Overall it's as good as the more-recognized 9/2.
First Set. The Alabama opener makes it plain that Jer is in a mood. They seg into Promised Land on a dime, pounding through. Check how Jer continues his 1st solo through the Bobby vox. After a medial TLEO, Mama Tried is dynamic: Jer in the zone, digging in. By Mexicali they're just tight - they're on - it's the machine. Jer is aggressive and check the drummers on double time shuffle @3min. There are better examples of Althea in '80 (5/15, 6/8) but this is still nice, with a light touch; honest to the point of innocence. The last minute is awesome. Rooster is tight but tentative. Tennessee doesn't really come off, overall. This Far From Me is on the bonus disc of Beyond Description with an egregious mastering error that moves the key below C# (from D). It's an odd pick anyway, since it's not in the top 5 of the two dozen from '80. The rest is all bright lights and bang.
Second Set. For the listers, this is the only Greatest Story into Uncle John's. The latter falls into place and goes big. Lost Sailor has great Jer fills and it's always nice, even if not the best of the six thousand from '80. The next couple are average '80 until the Truckin' (Chicago, New York...DC). They start taking mind food from the Heads to feed the machine. Listen to what Bobby plays behind the Jer end jam. (The AUD sounds much better than the SBD, but has a small cut in the beginning of Drums). Listen at 3min>4min (AUD) on The Other One and see if those licks are reminiscent of Jimmy Page. After a perfunctory Stella, there's a huge Miracle>Good Lovin'. Exciting, like a '78, uptempo, and in the palm of Jer's hand. Brokedown is a wash, with no Jer guitar (the long intro and vamp, as explained below, courtesy a "deranged", diapered, hippy's stage dash that caused Parish to accidentally pull Jer's gear). Neither Brent, Bobby, nor Phil really steps in (Phil had the opportunity for some bombs here).
1st Set:  B
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 4 stars HG
Highlights:
Promised Land - in on a dime, rock flight
Mama Tried - digging in
Mexicali Blues - check Billy & Mickey
Deal - bang
Truckin' - feed the machine
I Need a Miracle - like a '78
Good Lovin' - uptempo in Jer's palm
SOURCES: The miller_26353 is a composite, including the best AUD for first set (though this is pitched fast and needs -1%). I pitch-corrected, used EQ, removed the DC Offset and Normalized, with great results. The SBD is distorted and the second set sounds much better on the wise_popi_7456. Far From Me is on the Beyond Description bonus, with an extreme slow-pitch mastering error, needing +3% correction.

Great show with lots of energy, both from the band and the "electrified crowd". No such thing as a bad "Comes A Time", truly one of the most soulful Jerry songs. Listen to Brokedown and you can hear the gap where Jerry stops playing and Bobby is strumming waiting for Jerry to get plugged back in. An estranged fan had jumped on stage wearing what looked like a giant diaper and inadvertently pulled all of Garcia’s wires from his monitors. After a few minutes, the crew just gave up and Jerry and Bobby sang the balance lyrics without Jerry’s guitar. Jerry didn’t know what to do with his hands!! Bizarre ending to an eventful trip to our Nation’s capital!

Jeff Gannon below said it's his all time favorite solo...and I thought it was really beautiful. Wow...Comes A Time is one of those Dead songs that kind of sits by itself and is not a rock song, country, blues, trippy, spacey. Maybe it's a ballad but it doesn't have that feel. I dare say it makes me think of those late night swanky 40-65 year old velvet lounge clubs on the top of 50 story banker buildings in downtown SF. Catch my drift?

Even the first set has Jerry cuttin' heads bigtime and he sports a rather bright sound especially when it's part of the AUD mix. Bobby dedicates Mexicali to the crew and they just torcher us with scalding guitar. Ouch. Where are my plugs?
You can tell right away they were really pumped that night. Every song is lively. The sound is a tad bit grating to the ear, but it's not enuff of a deterrent to dismiss as total noise. If this was a better recording you would have to count this in the top 100. Miller does a yeoman's effort of cleaning up the over-driven vocals, but nothing can save them. Good news, tho, they do get cleaner ~ a bit. But just a bit. It is disharmonious to the ears.
Cap Centre is a decent venue. I have heard a number of shows from this place and it seems the boys always played well there. It is an enthusiastic, Sunday evening crowd.
Althea is really pleasant. Brent meshes pretty well. He'd been keyboardist over a year now and he is holding his own. Jerry does some far-reaching soloing. Oh, this would sound so tight on a well- rendered SBD.
Then Brent really shines on Far From Me. This is a really good groove for the GD. Brent was in the pocket on this song that night. Whenever I hear Brent on this song I always hearken back to an Allman Bros values time. Brent's voice conjures up a younger Greg Allman. Unfortunately, since it was relatively new to their playlist, they end this song without allowing it to develop.
However, after a while the AUD mix starts to wear on me and I have to turn it way down. I appreciate this AUD mix though, the bass is pretty rich and the Lazy>Supplication is worth the effort. With old ears like mine you have to parry back and forth between loud and not so loud. must protect that precious hearing, y'know!
Second set starts with Greatest and the over-driven vocals make it sound muffled. This almost sounds like FM fade at times. But wait a minute, it gets better? You wish. God, I cannot believe it's Aug 31st already. Where did it go? All winter long I promise myself I'm going to hang outdoors more often on hot summer nights such as this, but then I find myself inside steeping in air conditioning with all the windows shut so I can crank up the volume. And I desperately want to turn up this UJB, but the vocals are still muffly (bitch bitch) ooo, ooo, Jerry is just rippin' it. He skirts all around the forlorn issue before falling back to verses. Hey, what gives? This is supposed to be the SBD mix. And there's ol' Jer' jus' gnat-notin' his way into September. Glub. Strident, bristling, raunchy guitar. Oh, go to heaven, Grateful Dead.
You're lost, Sailor! No, I lost the will to listen to this garbled grunge. Oh, what we Dead Heads have to sit thru! Heavens to Mergatroid! Such a beautiful song marred by the murkiness of time travel. Argh, matey, we did not properly calibrate our chronometers. Suddenly, we drift and dream our way into a more salubrious sound. You can hear it calling! Driftin' and dreamin' and hopin' that that gorgeous Grateful Dead SBD sound will jump to attention any second now, but it doesn't, yet Jerry just keeps right on whacking that sturm and Bobby gets plucking his magic drang. Hiya kids, Hiya! Gimme five. (slap)
Comes a Time. When the sound is low you can hear what a dreadful recording that this is derived from. Jerry's singing is so heartfelt and his guitar oozes, yea verily drips honey from the rock, but the sound is so scratchy disturbing. It makes me think this a post FM recording. If this is a SBD, then I'm Abe Lincoln.
Nonetheless, good recording or no, one could tell that Jerry reaches far down within the very gut of his heart and exfolliates one of the truly inspiring versions of Comes a Time.
But I purge on. This is a hapless recording from stem to stern. No amount of rehabilitation can rescue it. Sadly, it needs to be dispatched to the dustbin of shows that could have been our deliverance.
sigh....

Nice show, good sound.
Toward the end of TRUCKIN', the whole band is smoking, but the transition into drums wasn't smooth enough for me. STill jamming, though, and looking foward to coming into The Other One.

Beautiful version and nice mix. The other version here is good as well. Love that undertow punch. Believe it or not 3/11/92 Althea is nice and scary. Go for the audience version only, the SBD sounds sterile and not the same at all.

the second Jerry solo is currently my alltime favorite guitar solo

Talk about a sick brokedown palace, sometimes it doesn't even matter that it's a noisy audiance tape, it almost adds to it. Brokedown gave me chills, one of the best I've heard.

THE ENTIRE 2ND SET SMOKES!